The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-01-05

SN1y daughter is to be married on Thanks
giving day, and he is to be the great feature
of the table," said the hostess.
"Oh. N.Y." thought the NIikado, "won't that
be finen am to figure at wedding, to bo
the great feature of the whole proceeding, it
seems. must order something nice to wear. "
The cat on the fence post also heard, but
she only licked herlips and smiled knowingly.
The days went on and the Mikado only
grew fattcr and more domineering every
hour, and the other fowls became more and
more cast down.
On Thanksgiving morning his doors were
opened and lie was invited to come forth.
This was the day on which he was to receive
greater honors than ever, and he waddled
out, numbered by his excessive flesh, with
more arrogance than usual. He was little
surprised when the hired man grabbed him
by the legs and suddenly inverted him. 1t
was an undignifcd attitude for bird of his
plumacc, to say the least; but he reflected a
moment and concluded that it was but fit
ting. after all, for creature of his distinc-
ton to be carried, and of course this awk-
ward fellow didn't know how to carry him
gracefully or even comfortably.
He had no time to frame other thoughts,
for in q moment more the hired man had as
sassinated him, and his head was lying on
one side of the choppiug block and his body
on the other.
His late envious associates ran III all direc-
tons, chilled with horror, nor were they seen
again that day. He graced the feast, to be
sure; lie was the great feature of it, but not
in the capacity he had so conceitcdly antici-
pated. Instead Of the fine suit of fashionable
garments he had expected to he arrayed in,
he appeared skorn of his feathers, with his
skin cruelty Drowned and his legs cut off at
the knees, sorry and huEbled Mikado,
surely.
In short time his very memory was for
gotten, or recalled only with u snccr, or to be
cited as an example of what conccit will bring
any one to.
The day after Thanksgiving there was a
little talk over his head and his bones, which
were found in O ditch by his despised COM
rades. His fate was lesson to them.
"After ALL" said one, 1--WE might have
known that such sudden rise into afluence
could bodc no good Up like rocket and
down like stick, you know"
"Do you remember my words" said the
cat, who came strolling along, bulGing in
body more than usual from having enjoyed
extraordinary Thanksgiving blessings. u
told you to envy no one; that it was a
dangerous thing to reach such eninence as
the Millado enjoyed. Poor fool, he did enjoy
it while it lasted"
"Could it be-" said the young turkey with
the eyeglasses and taste for metaphysics,
"could it be that my doctrines led him
astray? Still, he was a good illustration of
the truth of what l have been preaching
that if you pcrsistently desire the best you
viii get it. But the best, i'll his case, didn't
seem TO be really good for him, after all, and
nov the question arises: Is it good for any
of us? l must admit that l am somewhat
confused OH this poiEt, and, i'll spite of tie
Mikado's grave fau is Of character, lament
the tragedy il which he was the victim. For
some reason, his death was the occasion of
general rejoicing i'll the house, and l have
even picked up word Eere aud there which
goes to show that tie people who were the
cause of his death gave thanks over bis Eody.
They actually called the day Thanksgiving,
SO grateful were they that lie was gone. Per-
Ilaps they feared that in his excessive love Of
''-.--'-
rower he would rise some day, seize the
rrins OF government, and trampie them ell
under his feet. If so, | half excuse the
murder, though an too much OF Bud
thist to sympathize with q festival which
sanctions the destruction Of living creatures,
, and the eating of them, too. In the round Of
existence, depend upon it, my friends, I'll such
things ore evcned up. They who kill shall
be killed in turn; if not III this lie, in some
embodiment in the far future"